Various types of computer-implemented systems and methods exist for electronically notifying a user when an out-of-stock item listed on a web site is restocked and becomes available for purchase. For example, many retail sales web sites and applications provide notification services through which users can subscribe to be notified by email, text message, and/or push notifications when an out-of-stock item becomes available. While these notifications are helpful, there has yet to be an efficient method for providing restock notifications that sends notifications during a time period when the user is active and that avoids sending duplicate notifications.
Today, many retailers provide various platforms for a user to purchase items, including but not limited to, mobile applications, web browsers, and mobile web browsers. A user may browse for items on a mobile application associated with a particular retailer, for example, and subscribe to be notified by email when an out-of-stock item becomes available. The user may also browse for items on a web browser associated with the particular retailer, and subscribe again to be notified by email when the out-of-stock item becomes available. Then, when the out-of-stock item becomes available, the user will receive duplicate restock notifications because the user subscribed to email notifications on the mobile application and the web browser.
In addition, while many computer-implemented systems and methods for providing restock notifications to users exist, conventional systems and methods typically send restock notifications as soon as it has been determined that the out-of-stock item is available for purchase. As such, if the out-of-stock item becomes available at 3 o'clock in the morning, conventional systems and methods will send restock notifications to users at 3 o'clock in the morning, when the users are most likely to be sleeping. Therefore, users may be more likely to miss the restock notifications and give up on the items, which may decrease the amount of revenue the retailers can make on their items.
Therefore, there is a need for improved systems and methods for providing restock notifications. In particular, there is a need for improved systems and methods for providing restock notifications based on a notification schedule customized for each user. In addition, there is a need for improved systems and methods for providing restock notifications that avoid sending duplicate notifications to users, even if they subscribe to restock notifications for a particular product multiple times.